Things were going so well, apparently. Stormont had almost made it through the year without playing host to a full-blown crisis. That changed with today’s dramatic scenes in the emergency sitting of the Assembly.

Here are five things that we learnt.

 

1. The joined-up government isn’t joined-up

Up until now, the two parties of the Executive have spoken from roughly the same script since they formed their new streamlined government in May. After coming under intensifying pressure from the opposition parties and their own members, Martin McGuinness joined calls for Arlene Foster to temporarily step aside from her position as First Minister to allow a full investigation into her role over the RHI scheme to take place.

With that intervention, the deputy First Minister made clear ahead of Arlene Foster’s statement to the Assembly over her role in the RHI scandal that it would be without his consent.

 

2. The Speaker lost his authority

This put the Speaker of the Assembly in an awkward position. Elected as a DUP MLA, Robin Newton came under scrutiny for allowing Mrs Foster to make a ministerial statement in the absence of Mr McGuinness’s approval. Let’s be clear, this may seem like an arcane ‘point of order’ over procedural formalities, but it sets a hugely important precedent. The Executive Office is a joint office. The First and deputy First Ministers have different titles, but their offices are constitutionally dependent on one another.

As the former MLA John McCallister used to quip, one supposedly can’t order a fish supper without the approval of the other. When the Speaker allowed Mrs Foster’s (personal) ministerial statement to go ahead without the authority of Mr McGuinness, members from all parties – except the DUP – walked out of the chamber in protest. The role of Speaker is supposed to be above politics, but confidence in Robin Newton’s position arguably suffered a heavier blow than Arlene Foster’s today.

 

3. Arlene Foster apologised, but didn’t accept full responsibility

When the First Minister went on to address empty blue benches, she proceeded to read from a carefully prepared speech. She didn’t stray far beyond repeating what she and DUP surrogates have already stated in public. What was different today was that Arlene Foster apologised for her role, acknowledging that the RHI scheme was a serious policy blunder and that it landed the public purse with a huge projected bill. However, her statement failed to put the issue to rest and restore confidence in her leadership and ministerial competence.

The critical question remains: why were there no fiscal controls put into the scheme in the first place? Mrs Foster herself acknowledged that the explanation she offered the chamber was unsatisfactory. This was a bizarre argument to make. On the one hand she admitted that she had made mistakes, but on the other she tried to make the case that only she was competent enough to fix them.

 

4. The DUP is united, for now

Jonathan Bell cut a lonely figure today. DUP MLA after DUP MLA lined up in today’s debate to heap praise on the First Minister. Many pointed to her competence, her attention to detail, and her ministerial experience. Lord Morrow went so far as to “congratulate” the First Minister for her statement. This is the DUP that we are more used to seeing: disciplined, coordinated, and publicly united.

However, considering the scale of the scandal, the sheer waste of public money at stake, many onlookers will perceive the DUP’s united – and defensive – performance as one of arrogance. Edwin Poots flatly ridiculed any prospect of a public inquiry, and even more bluntly shot down the core proposition in the SDLP’s motion that Arlene Foster should temporarily step aside pending an independent investigation. “Get the message folks. She’s not going to step aside.” For the most part, the DUP seems fiercely loyal to its leader.

 

5. We’re all united about one thing

The nature of today’s proceedings was beyond farcical. On this point, MLAs from all sides were in agreement. Known for his ability to deliver a good soundbite, Mike Nesbitt summed things up well when he remarked that Stormont’s reputation has already been in the gutter; today’s events left it in the sewer.

As Stormont (again) breaks up for its Christmas recess, Arlene Foster’s position as First Minister remains intact – for now. Rebuilding confidence not just in her leadership but, more fundamentally, in the devolved institutions will take much longer to achieve than over the few weeks of the Christmas break. This sorry saga is far from over.

But if anyone wants a glimmer of festive cheer from Northern Ireland politics this Christmas, consider this plot twist to the usual pantomime: for once, the crisis has nothing to do with ‘orange versus green’. Perhaps that’s character development.